Frequently Asked Questions

By the General Public

Q. Should we put butter, aloe vera or vitamin E on a burn?
A. We do not recommend any of these items as treatment for an open wound. An open burn wound is one that has a moist, red and sticky appearance. The epidermis, the top layers of your skin, provide a barrier from infection. Ointments or creams that do not contain appropriate antibacterial agents may increase the risk of infection and should not be used.

Q. Is it okay to immerse a burn in ice water?
A. No! It is possible to get a frostbite injury in addition to the burn injury. If the burn is small and not too deep, immediate application of cold may help reduce the pain and the depth of the injury. Holding a clean cloth, soaked in ice water against the burned area or immersing the wound in cold water usually helps ease the pain. More extensive burns should not be treated in this manner because the potential for shock is great as well as the fact that the victim will get cold more easily after a burn and will have a more difficult time staying warm.

Q. What temperature should the hot water heater be set at?
A. If you have small children, a family member with a seizure disorder, or anyone that has difficulty getting out of the bathtub, your water heater should be set no higher than 120º F. At 160º F, the temperature many water heaters are set at, it takes only one second to get a third degree burn.

Q. How do I know if my burn is infected?
A. In order to look for signs of infection, the dressings must be removed and the area washed with a bland soap and clean water. The signs of infection are: pain, redness, swelling, heat and limitation of movement. These signs can be found in any burn wound, but are more severe with an infection. Redness is usually limited to the margins surrounding the wound. More extensive redness, outside of the margin or streaking extending upward along an extremity, indicates infection. An oral temperature of 100º F to 101º F (37.8º C to 38.3º C) can be expected for one or two days after a burn injury. A higher temperature elevation, or an elevation that persists for a longer time, may be indicative of an infection.

Q. What does a first, second and third degree burn look like? How can you tell them apart?
A. First degree burns: are superficial, do not kill the skin, only produce redness and slight swelling, and may produce blisters but not for a day or two.Second degree burns: damage the outer portion of the skin and result in big, watery blisters. The tissue underneath the blisters appear wet, red, and is very painful to touch. Third degree burns: destroy the full thickness of the skin and damage underlying tissue; may or may not contain blisters, may appear white, cherry red, or black; appear drier than second degree burns and may be painless to touch.

Q. When is it important to be seen by a doctor for my burn injury?
A. Any second or third degree burn of the hands, face, neck, genitals, buttocks or feet should be treated by a doctor. If the burn victim suffers from a chronic health condition such as heart problems, diabetes, asthma should be treated by a doctor. The very young ( less the one year) or very old may get very sick, very fast from a burn injury. If the pain is too great to allow for cleaning of the wound, or movement of the joints, the victim should be treated by a doctor. When in doubt, call your doctor, nurse, or emergency room. If there is a burn center in your local area, you can call them for answers to your burn related questions.

Q. When should we go to the emergency room for a burn injury?
A. When a reasonable person feels that the burns are of a serious nature a trip to the emergency room is warranted. If the victim inhaled smoke or toxic fumes accurate diagnosis is difficult and the condition may be fatal. The severity of a burn is determined by the depth, size and location of the burn. In addition the age of the victim and any pre-existing medical conditions may complicate matters. All of these factors must be considered when deciding the best mode of treatment. When in doubt, go to the nearest emergency room or call the emergency room and ask to speak to a nurse.

Q. Should we leave blisters in place or remove them?
A. In second and third degree burns, the epidermis is destroyed. In other words, the skin covering the blister is dead and will slough off eventually. The fluid that collects within the blister is ideal medium for bacterial growth. In our experience, wounds heal much faster if blisters are opened, drained and the dead skin is removed and an appropriate dressing is applied. The application of antibacterial ointments and clean, non-stick dressings will decrease the risk of infection and increase comfort at the wound site. If the situation is such, that clean water and dry clean bandages are not readily available, leave the blisters intact until the wounds can be adequately dressed.

Q What type of smoke detectors are the best?
A. The kind that are electrically wired in to your house with a battery back-up system. It is wise to have a smoke detector in the kitchen and one in every bedroom in the house.

Q. What kind of fire extinguisher is best and where is the best place to keep a fire extinguisher?
A. The best type of fire extinguisher is the ABC type which is a basic, multipurpose fire extinguisher. The best place to keep a fire extinguisher is between the most likely place for a hazard and an exit. In other words between the furnace room and the back door or the kitchen and the front door. It is also wise to keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of cooking related fires.

*DISCLAIMER This site is designed as an introduction to thermal injury for emergency medical technicians, medical students and physicians in training. It is not a comprehensive guide to thermal injury. As such the information may not be sufficient to address specific patient problems and these should be handled by physicians familiar with the specific clinical details pertinent to the individual patient. We invite comments from all users of this site.